Ukraine is targeting Russian energy infrastructure with its growing fleet of long-range drones and missiles, causing fuel shortages in one of the world’s biggest oil and gas producers and embarrassing President Vladimir Putin .
In dozens of strikes since this spring, Ukraine has pounded oil refineries across its larger neighbor, hitting all of Russia’s 10 biggest plants, based on capacity figures from S&P Global Energy. More than one-quarter of Russian refining capacity has been knocked offline, analysts estimate.
Plumes of smoke from burning refineries have been spotted from space, as well as in viral social-media videos shared by Russians despite an official ban on distributing footage of the aftermath of drone strikes. Kyiv’s drones have hit targets as far away as the Siberian city of Omsk, about 1,500 miles from Ukraine.
Ukraine’s long-range campaign is increasingly successful as the country steps up production of drones and missiles, many of which are traveling further and carrying bigger warheads. On Wednesday, President Trump said he supported Ukraine striking targets deep inside Russian territory, calling it an escalation that could help end the war.
Russia’s own data shows the increasing number of attacks on its soil. The country’s once vaunted air defense, mainly built to defend against ballistic missiles and crewed aircraft, is increasingly being overwhelmed by Ukraine’s drone armada.
Ukraine is using a handful of domestically produced types of long-range drones to attack Russian energy targets. Kyiv has also added a new cruise missile, the Flamingo, to its arsenal.
Refineries have proved to be vulnerable targets. Some of Ukraine’s strikes have hit key processing units built with Western-made technology that is difficult for Russia to replace, analysts say. The result has been fuel shortages and lengthy lines of cars at gas stations, including in parts of Russia far from the front lines.
By late June, fuel-rationing measures were in effect in 56 regions of Russia, according to a tally by Mediazona, an independent Russian media outlet. Putin has said the authorities are working to restore fuel supplies, and on Wednesday Russia ordered a ban on diesel exports in response to the crisis.
